1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to photographic apparatus and, more particularly, to improved motion-picture apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent important technological advances have made it possible to provide multipurpose motion-picture cassettes from which the film need not be removed during exposure, processing and projection operations. Exemplary of such new and unique systems are those described in prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,127 of Edwin H. Land issued Oct. 26, 1971; U.S. Pat. No. 3,537,784 of Rogers B. Downey issued Nov. 3, 1970; U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,455 of Rogers B. Downey issued Sept. 28, 1971; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,407 issued Dec. 14, 1971 of Gerald H. Cook.
In these systems, the cassette is first operated in a camera for exposure of the film strip and then subsequently loaded into a projector apparatus which first subjects the cassette to a sequence of operations including treating the film with a processing fluid so as to process the film strip to a viewable condition and then subsequently projects the developed, recorded images. During these processing operations, the film strip is advanced across both a processing station and an exposure-projection station of the cassette. Provision is made in the exposure-processing station to minimize contact with both the film emulsion layer and the fluid layer deposited thereon. This is accomplished by providing a longitudinal channel in the cassette pressure plate such that the latter only contacts the film margins of the emulsion side of the film strip.
To further minimize retarding forces on the film, particularly desirable in battery operated apparatus, the aperture plate of the camera is also preferably channeled such that when the cassette is operatively positioned in the camera, the film margins are loosely confined between juxtaposed portions of the aperture plate and the pressure plate.
In such an arrangement, while the margins of the film are adequately supported over the exposure aperture, some variation may occur in the location of the centrally located image recording area of the film strip, and it is desirable to provide an arrangement for positioning the image area of the film in a precise location while still minimizing drag forces on the film and contact with the emulsion surface.
Further, in the camera of the preferred embodiment, cassette insertion requires that the film be translated laterally across the aperture plate as the cassette is seated in its operative location. With a longitudinally channeled aperture plate, complications arise due to the irregularity in the plate surface which can intercept the edge of the film during this operation, and thereby preclude proper seating of the film.
Consequently, it is a primary object of this invention to provide improved apparatus for accomplishing photographic operations.
It is another primary object of this invention to provide photographic apparatus configured to receive a film handling cassette and to facilitate positioning of its film strip in a precise focal location.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved motion-picture system which efficiently positions the photographic film in a suitable focal location.